Can bile acids produced by the liver and gall bladder also play a role in immunity and the regulation of inflammation? Yes, Harvard scientists answer.

According to two Harvard Medical School studies published in the journal Nature, bile acids are involved in regulating immunity and protecting against a number of diseases..

The results obtained in mice show that bile acids contribute to the differentiation and activity of several types of T cells involved in the regulation of intestinal inflammation. They also show that intestinal microbes are crucial for the conversion of bile acids into immunosignal molecules.

The work offers possible therapeutic paths for modulating intestinal inflammation, the process that underlies the development of autoimmune conditions.

Bile acids and intestinal immunity.

Bile acids exert their immunomodulatory effect by interacting with immune cells in the intestines. As soon as the bile acids leave the gallbladder and perform the functions of dissolving fat, they are sent down the digestive tract, where they turn into immunoregulatory molecules of intestinal bacteria.

Modified bile acids then activate two classes of immune cells: regulatory T cells (Tregs) and effector helper T cells, in particular Th17, each of which is responsible for modulating the immune response by curbing or stimulating inflammation.

“Our results identify an important regulatory mechanism in intestinal immunity, showing that microbes in our intestines can modify bile acids and turn them into regulators of inflammation,” the study says..

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